Spit



May 31,1932. R, ...EDGE 1,860,577

SPIT

Filed Sept. l2, 1928 2 SheeLs--Slvletl l Fig; 1.

A TTORNE Y.

May 31, 1932.

` R. HEDGE SPIT File sept. 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TGR.

A TTORNE Y.

Naw

Patentedy May 31V; 1932 l PATENT OFFICE aux aan@ 4or @resem MlQHIGANsrrr 'application um sptmperia, 192s. serial nq'. 395,590.

l The object 'of my invention. is to provide a spit ofsimple? "durableand' inexpensivek construction.

Still a further object of my invention 1s to provide a yspit especiallyadapted for use 1n connection with barbecue stands such as studVtheliighways of this country. Y f

" Stilla further-obje t of 'my invention 1s y toiprovide such a spit asmay be used to l U9 roast a-number ofpices of meat at thesanie timeandwhich is' so'arrange'd 4that the various pieces can be placed on thespit andremoved independentlyof each other.

Still a further yolojeetof i`ny vinvention is to'providean improvedoperating mean's'ior rotating the spears upon which the'pieces of meatare impa'led'and' toprovide mea-nsv for rotating a of these spearssimultaneously. i

lStill a further object of my invention is to provideA a "spit" with a'plurality of rotating,

hooks whereby a pluralityof spearsmay be hooked there@ fosas nu themeutjgpies i Stille .frbafbbet. 0f ,my invention is toprovide meanswhereby certain of these hooks may hedheldnirom rotation when the meatVis Vlieing Jplaced thereon or removed therefrom sofas to makeit'iinnecessary to Stop thremngzhwks when@ Particularly hv Pelef iet's'being placed before repu. Y

With these and etherebiectsin new my invention 'eonsi'sts inthearrangement, con-y struction, and' combination ofthe vvarious rafts .0fIiiy ililrred devise .21S Si@SPllbfdA Vin the speciiieation,fclaimed inthe claims f ndihi'stiratec :the @Welnee-Dries .drawings which:

proved Spit-4 A'Figure 2 shows Ya yertical transverseseetional-.view.through the deviceftal'en on line .Figure 3 sbowsaorr Plan Yievotheoreretiis 'device-fdr ,the ,hQOkS .upon which .the 'Sums' (are 'lulg'parte :ef-the Literie@ be'- ingI .shown in section to better.i111*nlstrate its ,M 'cons'truction l t p .Y

Figure 4 shows an enlarged detailedy sec-k tional view takenv on theline 1 -4 of Fig- I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicategenerally the front walls of the fireplace on which my improved spit isinstalled. vThe lintel 11 extends acrossthe top of the replace and arear wall 12 is disposed at the back thereof. A vgrate 13 is sunk intothe walls 10 andA 12 andy as ash pit 14 extends down below theJ grate 13vand laterally so that a cover Y15 mayV be' removed to remove thel ashesfrom the fireplace.

A plurality of spaced vertical bars 16 form avgrid in front of thefireplace and within the lines of the front wall 10 so that coke orother inflammable material 17 may be piled downv in between the rearwall 12' and the grid 16 to furnish the iire iorthe fireplace. A'iillingpassageway 18 is extended up from the spac'e abovethe coke 151 andacover 19 is placedover this filling passageway VYso thatfcoke maybe fedto the fire `when desired.- A smoke flue 20 extends upward-lyandlaterally over 'one side 'oi the -iirebox'to any suitable place todischarge the smoke.l n A 'pair of vbrackets 21 are sunk into thelintel11 at either side:ofthelopeningpforthe fireplace and support anupwardly openingy channel iron QQinany suitable way ashy means of`rivets 23. A skirt 524 isv secured to the roiitof this' channel 22 forthe vpurpose of concealing the mechanism therein and giv- 'f n' 95 ingamorepleasiiig appeai'ance to the device. The. upwardly openingchannelforms an effefc'tivemeans for preventinglubricant, .Whieh K f y may beused vin thetd'eviee, from running down on the meatloeing roasted. Y .yt YAplinality of spaced holes are drilled in Y:so

the bottom of this channel 22 and bearing sleeves 25 are set into theseopenings. A plurality of hooks 26 each have a shoulder 27 formed attheir upper ends adapted to bear against the bottom of the sleeves. Aworm wheel 28 is secured to the top of the shaft section 29 formed atthe upper end of the hook 26 by any suitable means as by a pin 30. Aplurality of bearing brackets 31 are bolted as at 32 to the bottom. ofthe channel 22 and are provided with ears 33 designed to forni a journalfor a worin shaft 34. This worm shaft 34 extends practically the entirelength of the channel 22 and is provided opposite each worm wheel 28with a worm 35. Une end of the worm shaft has a bevel gear 36 securedthereto in position to co-operatey with a second bevel gear 37 which ismounted on the forward end of a drive shaft 38 which extends through anopening'in the lintel 11.

A bearing sleeve 39 is secured in any suitable manner to the rearvertical wall of the channel 22 adjacent to the gears 36 and 37 to forma bearing for the forward end of the drive shaft38. The rear end of thedrive shaft 38 is connected by a flexible coupling 40 with a speedreducingr gearing 41. This gearing is illustrated herein by merelyshowing the casing as any standard form of speed reducing gear may beused. This speed reducing gear is operated by an electric motor 42. Acontrol switch 43 is mounted in thefront wall 1() of the fireplace andsuitably connected with motor 42 so thatthe latter may be turned on orofi by this switch.v

From the construction of the parts so far described, it will be seenthat the motor 42 will rotate the speed reducing gearing 41 to therebydrive the shaft 38 which in turn drives the worm shaft 34. Rotation ofthe latter, rotates the worms 35 which drives the worm wheels 28 whichrotates the hooks 26 on vertical axes.k It will thus be seen thatoperation of the motor will operate these hooks 26 continuously as longas the motor is running. The meat barbecued on spits such as are hereindisclosed is ordinarily in the form of shoulders or legs or other largepieces and a spear 44 is driven through the piece of meat asisillustrated at 45 in Figure 1 and 2. These spears are illustratedindetail in Figures 7 and 8 from which it will be noted that they consistof a strip of fiat metal having a plurality of holes 46 therethrough. Atthe upper end. an eye 47 is provided which may be hooked over the hooks26. The lower end f is sharpened at 48 to facilitate driving the spearthrough the meat. A pin 49 having a head 50 is designed to be passedthrough one ofthe openings 46 in the spear 44 so that the meat45'may bepressed down on this pin 49 to hold the latter in place and to hold themeat on the spear 44 at the proper height before "the fire. I have alsoprovided the may be collected and saved. An angle ironk 52 is disposedat the lower edge of the fireplace opening so that any ashes or othermaterial from the fire which falls through the grid 16 may be cau ht bythis angle and be pre- Yvented from fa ling into the grease pan 51.

Y An ornamental Cobble-stone curb 53 is disposed around the base of thefireplace and the grease pan 5l to hide the pan from observation and togive a finished appearance to the fireplace. y A hinged skirt 54 isplaced at the top of the fireplace opening to prevent smoke,

from coming out the front of the fireplace.

From the construction offtherparts just described, it rwill be seen thatwhen meat is to be barbeeued it may be forced-onto one of the spears 33and then the pin 49 inserted in the proper hole 46 and then thefmeatmaybe pushed down against the pin tolock the meat on the spear 44. Thespear 44 is thenhung by the eye 47 0n one of the hooks 26 and allowed tohang there and rotate until itis properly done. The meat is then removedby simply unhookin the spear 'and withdrawing the pin 49 roin the `spearand the spear from the meat. y

In certain instances it hasbeen found difficult to hang heavy pieces ofmeat on the hooks when the hooks are rotating and it is not advisable tostop the hooks from rotating as the meat already in front of: thefireplace might burn during the stopping period. Means are thereforeprovided so that oneyor more of the hooks maybe constructed as isillustrated in F i re5 so that the hook may be held by hand rom rotationwhen the meat is being hung on it but the weight of the meat will causethe worm wheel 28 to drive the hook again as soon as the meat issuspended therefrom. In this construction a collar 55 is secured to thetop of the shaft 29 by means of a pin 56. The worm wheel has a socket 57in its upper face and a pin 58 extends downwardly from the collar 55. Aspring A59 surrounds ythe shaft 29 and normallyurges the shaft 29upwardly so that the ypin 58 is out of envagement with the socket 57.kIt will thus be seen that when it is desired to hang a piece of meat onthis hook, the. hook may be grasped by the end and held with its openend at the front until the eye in the spear has been hooked on. IVhenthe weight of the meat acts on the hook, the spring 59 will becompressed and the pin 58 -will enter the socket so that the hook will.be positively driven as are all the rest ofthe hooks. When the meat isremoved from the hook then the spring 59 will again raise they hook 26so that the latter will no longer be positively driwIl-LA Among the manyadvantages resulting from use of my improved device it willbe especiallypointed out that a plurality of pieces of meat may be barbecuedsimultaneously or independently on my improved spit without in any wayinterfering with each other. The construction thereof further lendsitself to making the fireplace ornamental and still permits the greaseto be saved. The fireplace may be replenished without in any way malringit likely to dirty the meat being barbecued. he drive of the device isreadily accessible for inspection or repair and still does not interferewith the ornamental appearance of the fireplace. The spears used may bethoroughly cleansed and it should be 'noted that they are chromiumplated where-V by they do not taint the meat being barbeoued. Removaland placing of the meat for barbecuingis relatively simple. The deviceisV further vso constructed that it may be adapted for drivingpractically any desired number of spears.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement and construction of thevarious parts of my improved device without departing fromthe spirit ofmy invention and it is my intention to cover by my claimssuch changes asmay reasonably be included within the scope thereof.

Iciaim as my invention:

l. In a device of the character described, a fireplace, an upwardlyopening channel adapted to be disposed horizontally above and in frontof said replace, a shaft extended through said channelV and journaledtherein, a collar fixed to said shaft, a worm wheel rotatably mounted onsaid shaft, a spring extended between said collar and said worm, andco-acting locking means associated with said collar and worm'wherebymovement of the shaft in one direction will lock said means together andthe spring will normally yieldingly urge said means out of engagement. ij Y 2. Ink ay device of the character described, a fireplace, asupportng member disposed horizontally above and in front of saidreplace, a vertical shaft extending through said chan nel andjournaledtherein, a collar fixed to said shaft, a worm wheel rotatablymounted on said shaft, a. spring extended Vbetween said collar and saidworm, and coacting locking means associated with said collar and worinwhereby movement of the shaft in one direction will lock said meanstogether and the spring will normallyyieldingly urge said means out ofengagement.

3. In a device of thecharacter described, a fireplace having asupporting member disposed above and in front thereof, a vertical shaftslidably and `rotatably mounted in said member solas toy support a pieceof meat in front of said fireplace, a driving member rotatably mountedin said supportingmember,

an operable clutch mechanism disposed between saidshaft and drivingmember whereby the weight of said meat will engage said clutch, and aspring urging said clutch mechanism out of engagement, when said weightis released 4. ln a device of the character described, a fireplacehaving a'supporting member disposed 'above and in front thereof, avertical shaft slidably and rotatably mounted in said member so as'tosupport a piece of meat in front of said fireplace, a driving memberrotatably mounted in said supporting member and an operable clutchmechanism Vdisposed between said shaft and driving memberV whereby theWeight of said meat will engage said clutch to thereby rotate the meatin front of the fireplace.

so,v

5. In a device of the character described, a i

a longitudinal gear housing disposed above and spaced from the front ofthe fireplace, a vertical shaftslidably and rotatably mounted in saidhousing so as to support a piece of meat in front of said fireplace, adriving gear rotatably mounted in said housing aligned with said shaft,-and an operable clutch mechanism disposed between said shaft and gearwhereby the 'weight of said piece of meat will engage said clutch tothereby rotate the meat in front of the fire lace.

ROY HED E.

yist

